Andrew
Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
THE 2022 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty ran under the theme “Dignity for All in Practice”.
Not all persons with disabilities are poor.
However, research has shown that worldwide, compared to their non-disabled counterparts, persons with disabilities are generally poorer, basically due to lack of educational and employment opportunities. The massive dependency that may arise from the intersection of poverty and disability robs persons with disabilities of their dignity.
The 2030 Agenda acknowledges that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs states that the aim of the targets associated with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) calls for an end to poverty in all its forms, for all people everywhere.
There is also the need to reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty by implementing nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all.
We, therefore, cannot talk about achieving SDG 1 if we do not pay attention to the needs and concerns of men, women and children with disabilities of all ages. TheGovernment — through the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, which has the mandate of co-ordinating the implementation of SDGs — is taking serious steps towards mainstreaming disability in all SDG processes. In addition, and as part of efforts to alleviate poverty among persons with disabilities and their families, Section 3.2 of the National Disability Policy of Zimbabwe is dedicated to economic empowerment and self-reliance of persons with disabilities.
3.2.1. Discrimination against persons with disabilities on the basis of disability in all matters concerning all forms of employment, including recruitment, hiring and employment, retention, career advancement and safety and health conditions is prohibited.
3.2.2 Strive to ensure that a minimum of 15 percent of the workforce of all organisations across all sectors must comprise persons with disabilities.
3.2.3 Persons with disabilities must be employed on the basis of skills, merits, qualifications, knowledge and abilities, and not just on the basis of disability.
3.2.4 Reasonable accommodation (as defined in this policy) must be provided to persons with disabilities.
3.2.5 Persons with disabilities must have access to information on the provision of reasonable accommodation and the process of requesting it (including at the recruitment phase).
3.2.6 Workplace adjustments must be made available to all persons, including persons with disabilities.
3.2.7 Appropriate technical and vocational guidance, training and continuing professional development must be provided to persons with disabilities.
3.2.8 The principle of equal pay for work of equal value must be applied — remuneration should not be differentiated on the basis of disability.
3.2.9 Employers must promote the provision of accessible organisation transport to enable easier travel of persons with disabilities to and from work.
3.2.10 Discrimination of persons with disabilities who acquire disabilities in the course of their employment is an offence.
3.2.11 If persons with disabilities can no longer perform essential job duties, they must be redeployed to other positions in the same organisation, unless they choose other options that may include an exit package, which must be negotiated with the concerned person.
3.2.12 Persons with disabilities must have access to vocational and professional rehabilitation, job retention and return-to-work programmes.
3.2.13 Structures that address disability-related issues, including employment issues, in each of the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe must be set up.
3.2.14 Persons with disabilities shall not be held in slavery or be forced to work — they shall be protected from forced labour or compulsory labour on an equal basis with others.
3.2.15 Persons with disabilities and their families must be empowered so that they use various resources, including local resources, to effectively and efficiently uplift their own standard of living, as well as contribute towards the mainstream national development agenda.
3.2.16 Unity through the building of alliances between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities must be promoted, so that they work together to improve standards of living.
3.2.17 Opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, development of co-operatives and acquisition of funding by persons with disabilities must be created.
3.2.18 Disability must be mainstreamed in micro-finance facilities and services, thereby encouraging persons with disabilities and their families to engage in various investment programmes.
3.2.19 Appropriate and effective measures must be taken to eliminate provisions and practices which restrict or deny persons with disabilities control of their own financial affairs — ensure and enable equal access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit.
3.2.20 Conditions of providing financing must take cognisance of the fact that persons with disabilities are generally poor, hence they may not have assets to provide as collateral.
3.2.21 Foster economic empowerment and self-reliance through incentives, tax exemptions, excise duty exemptions and procurement of goods and services from enterprises of persons with disabilities by various stakeholders, including government entities.
3.2.22 The inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in all sectors, including in land and mining reforms, must be ensured.
3.2.23 Disaggregated data about the employment of persons with disabilities by all sectors must be submitted to the Department of Disability Affairs, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, in November of each year, to enable consolidation of statistics in the national disability database.
3.2.24 Privacy and confidentiality of employment data concerning persons with disabilities must be upheld by all sectors.
3.2.25 Persons with disabilities must be enabled to exercise their labour and trade union rights on an equal basis with others.
3.2.26 The employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector must be promoted through affirmative action and incentives.
Poverty is not just about money, but also about access to opportunities and the ability to participate and make decisions in ways that uphold one’s dignity. Let us all join hands to create opportunities for persons with disabilities and enable their active and meaningful participation in all sectors, including in all SDG processes.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, policy, international development and research expert, who is the national director of Disability Affairs in Zimbabwe. She can be contacted on: [email protected]
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